"Me? Just passing through. You believe that?"
"I was fighting Sunagakure on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers, but because of a mission, I went through the Land of Wind into the northern region of the Land of Birds. Yugito is my disciple—she's been with me the whole time."
"If I want to return to the Land of Fire, passing through the Land of Rain is the most convenient route."
Kazuyama Gekkō pulled out his Konoha forehead protector and casually dropped the excuse he'd prepared long ago.
He'd worked on that explanation for a while and was confident it was airtight. It should be enough to fool Yahiko and the others.
Sure enough, they didn't question it. After all, the war between Sunagakure and Konoha was a big deal—word had spread even to them.
"No wonder a Konoha shinobi like you would show up in the Land of Rain."
"Still, I'd suggest you leave as soon as possible. We know how dangerous it is here."
Kazuyama grinned, his expression full of disdain.
Next, he decided to teach Yahiko and the others what it really meant to be bold.
"You three seriously don't have an ounce of courage."
"A real powerhouse doesn't fear anyone. Sure, Hanzō the Salamander might be called a demigod, but I'm an elite jōnin. Even if I can't beat him, if I want to escape, he's not catching me."
Confidence—absolute confidence. Staring at Kazuyama's smug face, Yahiko and the others were left speechless.
Suddenly, Konan's eyes lit up with excitement and surprise, and she blurted out,
"Your name's Kazuyama Gekkō?"
"Yeah, the real deal. Why? Someone pretending to be me?"
Kazuyama gave Konan a puzzled look. The others looked just as confused, wondering what she was getting at.
"You're the one they call the Ghost of the Battlefield?"
"Ghost?"
Kazuyama was caught off guard. It wasn't the first time he'd heard that nickname, but he'd never paid it much mind. Now that Konan had brought it up again, he was finally curious.
"Yes! They say there are two ghost-like shinobi in Konoha—both incredibly strong."
"They're seen as the twin rising stars of Konoha, shining just like the A–B Combo from Kumogakure."
"One is the Yellow Flash, and the other is Konoha's Ghost."
Konan's eyes were full of admiration—it was clear she held both in high regard.
"The Yellow Flash earned his name from his overwhelming speed, gaining fame across the ninja world."
"They say no one can even catch a glimpse of him. The moment an enemy sees him... they're already dead."
"But I don't think he's the scariest one. You, Kazuyama Gekkō—the Ghost of the Battlefield—are the truly terrifying one!"
Konan looked at him with glowing eyes, practically starstruck.
Kazuyama, on the other hand, looked a little awkward. What was going on here? Why was this future Akatsuki tycoon fangirling over him?
"They say Konoha's Ghost is a master of stealth, with abilities similar to the Yellow Flash."
"Untraceable. A genius at reconnaissance and assassination."
"There are stories about you in both the Land of Rivers and the Land of Hot Water."
"Some even say that the haunted rumors in the Land of Rice Fields were your doing."
"No one can track you. That's why they call you the Ghost."
Yugito, Yahiko, and the others stared wide-eyed at Kazuyama, unable to believe the legend was the same guy standing in front of them—this unreliable, sneak-attack-loving man.
"Whoa, I'm really that famous?"
"Hahaha, even I didn't know!"
Kazuyama burst into laughter, clearly loving the praise.
"The Yellow Flash—Minato Namikaze. Konoha's Ghost—Kazuyama Gekkō."
"This information came out of Sunagakure and Kumogakure."
"If you really are Kazuyama Gekkō, then you are Konoha's Ghost!"
Konan looked at him expectantly, waiting for his confirmation.
"I don't know about this 'Ghost' stuff, but yeah, I'm Kazuyama Gekkō."
Admit it? Why not? He was already famous.
Worried about fame? Not a chance. With the Transparent Escape Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Chōmei backing him up, even Kage-level shinobi weren't a problem.
Besides, Madara Uchiha had already set his sights on him. There was no point in staying hidden.
"For real? You? Konoha's Ghost?"
"Man..."
Yahiko was shocked but still skeptical. To him, Kazuyama might be strong—but not quite living up to the legend.
Kazuyama's good mood immediately soured.
"Yahiko, looks like I'll have to show you just how strong I am."
The Tiger Seal reappeared, and Yahiko went silent.
What could he say? That terrifying Thousand Years of Death still haunted him.
"Alright, forget about my identity."
"Yahiko, didn't you say your group still doesn't have a proper name?"
Kazuyama, now done laughing, steered the conversation back to Yahiko's team.
At his words, the rest of the group—except for Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato—looked curious.
A name for the group?
Sounded good. They'd always acted independently and didn't belong to any village. While they were a team, they didn't even have a name—let alone a proper organization.
"Yahiko, are we really starting our own organization?"
"That's a great idea! I'm all in!"
Akaashi was the first to respond. He'd long been ready to follow Yahiko wherever he went. Forming a group of their own? Perfect.
The others quickly joined in, excited at the idea of forming something official.
"Yeah, I'm excited too, but honestly, this whole organization thing just popped into my head."
"We really owe it to Kazuyama Gekkō. He brought it up—I hadn't even thought of it, haha."
Yahiko looked a bit embarrassed. After all, it wasn't his idea—it was Kazuyama's.
"Don't act so modest. Even if your group is small, you need a name of your own."
"Here, let me give you one. How about... Akatsuki. The Akatsuki Organization!"
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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